Oranges and grapefruit are both breakfast-table citrus staples, and while they’re often treated as interchangeable “vitamin C fruit,” they’re not quite the same nutritionally or in how the body handles them.
| Nutrient | Orange | Grapefruit |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 47 kcal | 30 kcal |
| Protein | 0.94 g ✓ | 0.55 g |
| Total Carbohydrate | 11.75 g | 7.5 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.4 g ✓ | 1.1 g |
| Total Sugars | 9.35 g | 6.98 g ✓ |
| Total Fat | 0.12 g | 0.1 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.02 g | 0.01 g ✓ |
| Sodium | 0 mg | 0 mg |
Notable compounds in each
When to choose each
Reach for oranges when fibre is the priority — they carry noticeably more than grapefruit — or when you want a sweeter, easier-to-peel option. Reach for grapefruit for fewer calories per 100 g and its notable lycopene content if you’re eating the pink or red variety. One important practical note: grapefruit is well known to interact with a number of common medications (including some statins and blood pressure drugs), which oranges don’t share — worth checking with a pharmacist if you’re on regular medication.
Common questions
Why does grapefruit interact with medication and oranges don’t? Grapefruit contains compounds called furanocoumarins that interfere with an enzyme the body uses to break down certain drugs, causing them to build up. Oranges don’t contain meaningful amounts of these compounds.
Which has more vitamin C? Oranges, per 100 g, though both are strong sources and either comfortably contributes to a day’s needs in a single serving.
Nutrition values are USDA FoodData Central approximations — see our editorial approach for how we source and verify data.